Angel Wings
by shersocks
Summary: "'Hey Cas, can I see your wings' The question was so simple and innocent, but it made Cas flinch away in surprise, and drop his spoon in his bowl of cereal. 'Why would you want to do that, Dean'" All Dean wants is to see Cas's wings, so why on Earth is Castiel being so defensive? one-shot, no spoilers. Fluff.


"Hey Cas, can I see your wings?"  
The question was so simple and innocent, but it made Cas flinch away in surprise, and drop his spoon in his bowl of cereal. "Why would you want to do that, Dean?"  
Dean shrugged, and started cleaning his bowl. "I dunno. You're an angel and I've seen the shadows and stuff. I just thought it would be cool to actually see and touch them."  
Cas shook his head and sighed. "No, Dean, I don't think that would be a very good idea."  
"Why not?"  
Castiel turned to face Dean, eyes hard and cold. "It's not a good idea. Drop it."  
"If you think that you're goona burn my eyes out or something-"  
"I said drop it!" Castiel growled.  
Dean stopped talking.

XxXxXxX

Dean shut the door of the impala and waited for Cas to get out. Castiel opened the door and stepped onto the pavement.

"C'mon, Cas. We need to hurry up and get our stuff so I can get some sleep."

"Why do you work so much if it makes you so tired?" Cas inquired.

"Because I have to." Dean grabbed a shopping cart and began strolling down the aisles. "What do we need, Cas?"

Cas handed him the list.

Dean took the list and grumbled. "I don't know why you couldn't just poof out and get all the stuff we need. It would be a lot faster and I could be asleep by now."

Cas was unsure of how to answer. He yawned and said, "I enjoy the bonding time."

Dean huffed. "I'm pissy and tired. You don't even need sleep, you wouldn't understand."

"I suppose so..." Cas said, trailing off. He looked at the floor. "Come on, let's get our things and get back home."

Dean huffed in agreement and threw a few things into the cart. "Go get some milk so we can get out of here faster."

Cas walked out of the aisle and headed for the dairy section.

XxXxXxX

When they finally arrived home, Dean and Cas put the groceries away as fast as they could.

As soon as they were finished, Dean headed upstairs.

"Do you mind if I lie with you?" Castiel asked, trailing Dean up the stairs.

Dean sighed. "Come on, you big lump. You know you can always 'lie with me.'" He grabbed Cas's hand and dragged him up the stairs. "hurry up, though. I need to sleep now."

Cas shrugged off his coat and laid it on the bedside table. He snuggled up to Dean, and closed his eyes. He was breathing evenly before dean had even started to fall asleep.

_Good old Cas,_ Dean thought. _Always acting human to help calm me down. _Cas was kinda cute when he was fake sleeping.

Dean brushed a hand through Cas's hair and kissed his forehead before falling into his own deep sleep.  
XxXxXxX

It was getting close to Dinner time, and Cas was making Dean help out in the kitchen.

"Dean, just cut the tomato."

"Why can't you just poof up a meal or something?" Dean asked, slicing the tomato. "I mean, you used to do it all the time."

Castiel huffed. "Dean, I don't feel like talking about it right now. Let it be."

"You're acting like the whole wing thing again. It's no big deal if you show me. Unless it's some sort of weird angel taboo."

"It's not," Castiel growled.

"Then why won't you show me?"

Cas threw down his knife into the sink with a melodramatic clatter, and walked out.

Dean watched as Cas left. Cas's shoulders were hunched, but he was tensed. His head was down, and his arms were crossed.

Dean set down his knife and followed. He found Cas standing at the bottom of the stairs. Dean hugged him from behind and buried his face in Cas's neck. "What's the matter, Cas?"

"Dean, let me go. We can talk about this later. Just not right now. I need to cool down."

Dean sighed and let him go. He watched as Cas scurried up the stairs.

"I'll finish making dinner," he called after Cas. "I'll bring some to you when I finish."

He heard the bedroom door slam shut in reply.

XxXxXxX  
It was late. Really, really late. Dean should have been sleeping, but Cas had gotten him a little... sidetracked. (Not to mention that his nap had left him with extra energy he needed to expend.)  
Cas was on top of Dean, pushing him into a deep kiss. Dean pulled away as best he could to speak.  
"Cas let me see them. Please."  
Castiel was taken aback and confused. "Let you see what?"  
"Your wings. Please. Just a little-" Dean ran his hand down Cas's back for emphasis.  
Castiel rolled off of Dean and stood. He turned to glare at his lover before walking out of the room.  
Dean was alone. Why on earth was Cas so defensive about his wings? Dean felt that If Castiel was worried about hurting him, he would have said something. But, now that Cas was gone, he had nothing to keep him awake. Even so, he was having a hard time falling asleep, and his arousal wasn't helping. He would need to take care of it before sleep was even an option. He sighed and rolled out of bed.  
XxXxXxX  
When Dean awoke the next morning, Cas was nowhere in the house. "Dammit, Cas," Dean mumbled under his breath. "If you're so goddamn worried about hurting me with your wings just freakin' tell me. Don't keep running away."  
Dean waited for a response.  
then waited some more.  
Castiel wasn't coming back just yet. Dean plopped on the couch and turned on the TV. Cas was getting a lecture when he came back.  
XxXxXxX  
About half an hour later, Cas arrived. He quietly opened, and shut, the door.  
"Where the hell have you been?" Dean deadpanned, not taking his eyes away from the absolutely riveting weather report. It was going to be a rainy week.  
"I needed to be alone for a while. I heard you, so I came back."  
"It took you half an hour to get back here?" Dean's gaze finally slipped from the T.V. to Castiel.  
Castiel paused. He looked tired, haggard even. "I ah, wanted to take the scenic route." he walked over and sat down next to Dean. "I know you want to see my wings, but I'm sorry... You can't."  
"Can't you like, turn down the Grace?"  
"Dean, I don't think you under-"  
"Make them so they won't burn my eyes out?"  
"Dean-"  
"I'm pretty sure that you can, I mean-"  
"Dean!" Cas was yelling now, but his eyes didn't look just angry, they looked like an odd mix of anger, sadness, and even a twinge of shame. "I don't have them anymore! That's why you can't see them. When I fell I was stripped of them, along with my Grace." He sighed. "I'm human; I have no wings to show. I'm nothing but a human now." His eyes slid from Dean's face to the floor.  
Dean sat in shocked silence. He was concerned, and he showed it. He gently wrapped his hand around Cas's cheek and brought his face up. "Hey, it's ok. But, why didn't you tell me?"  
Castiel took a shaky breath. "Because I didn't want you to know that I had fallen. I didn't want to worry, or feel guilt."  
"Oh, Cas, I wish you had told me." He wrapped Cas in a warm bear hug. "I wish I didn't have to find out this way.  
Cas sighed in Dean's embrace. In an almost inaudible whisper, he said, "I fell because of you. I fell for you. That is why I didn't want to tell you."  
Dean felt his stomach drop. Cas had lost himself because of him.  
"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to blame yourself. I chose to fall for you. I chose to be with you. Because I love you more than I love God himself."  
"Cas... Castiel, I love you, too. I'm sorry you fell..."  
"It's not your fault, Dean. Not your fault..."


End file.
